Software Engineering Professional Associations

There are numerous professional associations where Software Engineers can network and share information. One of the largest and oldest is the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). The ACM boasts membership of more than 100,000 professionals as of 2011.

Another major association is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). While IEEE’s title might not sound like it would be fruitful for Software Engineers, the IEEE Computer Society has teamed with the ACM on numerous projects to enhance the professionalism of the Software Engineering field.

Like any degree in engineering, a Software Engineering degree is a demanding course of study. It requires an aptitude for math and science and favors those who love to think logically and methodically. The rewards for pursuing this degree are numerous and tangible: great salary, a growing job market, and a career working with like-minded professionals building the future. Check out the many programs available and see if one is right for you.

The job market for Software Engineers is incredibly broad. There are software components involved in virtually every modern development you can think of. Computers control everything from aircraft to medical imaging devices, and these systems are conceived and executed by Software Engineers.

Since it’s such a big part of our daily lives, most people think immediately of software running on the Internet when they envision a career in this arena. While there are a plethora of rewarding jobs developing software for use on the Internet, it’s a good thing to know that there are also rewarding jobs in areas like computer simulations, artificial intelligence, real-time systems, aerospace, and embedded systems

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Structural Engineering Career

Structural Engineering focuses on the support integrity of large developments such as buildings, bridges and stadiums. Structural engineers are responsible for some of the most import constructions in history, including Washington Roebling who built the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and Gustave Eiffel who completed The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Structural engineers traditionally collaborate with a team of professionals including architects, urban planners and civil engineers, among others, to realize the completion of a project.

Federal and local governments as well as private enterprises contract these practitioners for work throughout the world, whereby they are entrusted to ensure public safety by meeting building codes and standards. For buildings, these professionals achieve this by developing the components such as roof framing columns and foundations. In bridges, they develop the piers, deck and/or stringers. In addition, they select the most appropriate materials including wood, concrete, steel and/or aluminum, thereby protecting the structure and surrounding communities in the case of natural disasters, weather, collisions or explosions. To determine the best materials, structural engineers rely on digital hardware and software applications for modeling and analysis.

If you want to pursue a career in structural engineering, use the list of schools below to learn more about programs that can help you get started!

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Life of a Petroleum Engineer

Petroleum engineers typically design equipment to extract oil and gas, and develop ways to force oil out of wells through injection of water, chemicals, gases, or steam.

They develop drilling plans, survey, evaluate, and test wells. They use computer-controlled drilling to connect separated deposits to a single well. They ensure proper installation, maintenance, and operation of oil field equipment.

Reservoir engineers optimize production with proper well placement and enhanced recovery techniques. Drilling engineers oversee the technical aspects of drilling exploration, production, and injection wells. Production and subsurface engineers direct connections between reservoirs and wells, overseeing downhole monitoring equipment and flow control, sand control, and perforations.

They select surface equipment to separate fluids (oil, natural gas, and water), and they evaluate artificial lift methods.

Emerging career choices involve pollution cleanup, hydrology, and underground waste disposal (the subsurface injection of carbon dioxide to reduce greenhouse gases). Petroleum engineers are also educated in geothermal energy production, in situ uranium leaching, and coal gasification.

The known worldwide oil and gas reserves are larger than ever. Found in diverse areas, these resources provide opportunities for assignments in the Middle East, Asia, South America, Australia, and beyond.

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Main Focus of a Nuclear Engineering Degree

Nuclear engineering is the most integrated of the engineering disciplines. The many components of nuclear systems (medical imaging, nuclear fission reactors, ultrasensitive contraband detectors, and fusion reactors) must all be understood as well as how they relate to one another. Nuclear engineers must be experts in their primary field, as well as knowledgeable in other fields such as electronics, thermodynamics, physics, and materials science. The fundamentals of one science are often the same tools used in solving problems in the other disciplines.

An undergraduate degree in nuclear science and engineering develops the fundamentals of nuclear processes—their production, interactions, and radiation measurements. These studies bring the student all the way to the design phase of nuclear-based systems, stressing social, health, and energy and security impacts.

Studies also incorporate computer methods, thermal-fluid engineering, and electronics—critical tools for a nuclear engineering career.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Science and Engineering prepares students for careers in the application and engineering of low-energy nuclear physics. This includes design, analysis, and operation of radiation systems and their applications, such as fission reactors and accelerators, and biomedical uses. Students are also prepared for graduate study in a wide range of engineering and physical sciences.

A five-year program offers an opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Nuclear Science and Engineering simultaneously.

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Real Life Nanoengineers Making an Impact

Nanoengineers not only impact the way people live and think on Earth, but also may provide the key to further space exploration. As both the European Space Agency and NASA strive to execute manned missions to other planets like Mars as well as develop more advanced spacesuits and micro-shuttles, nanotechnology will serve an essential role in pushing these endeavors into reality. Nanoengineers will be called upon to reduce the weight and sheer volume of components needed to explore other worlds, thereby reducing the costs associated with such expeditions. This may well enable countries with smaller economies to venture into space. For example, nano engineers at NASA have created sensors rooted in nanotechnology for use on the International Space Station (ISS). The sensor is the size of a postage stamp, yet has the capacity to detect impurities in an astronaut’s air supply, and may well be utilized on potential roving explorations on Mars to gather samples from the red planet. Furthermore, technology companies like Apple have used nanotechnology and professionals to develop their tablet hardware products and musical devices like the iPad mini and iPod nano. The iPod nano, for instance, features a compact, design that clips onto a person’s lapel making it easy for customers to listen to music while being unencumbered by a weighty product. The sleek, minimalist design associated with Apple products illuminates how the field of study bridges the gap between cutting-edge technology and providing useful and lucrative consumer products. As nanotechnology grows with the expertise of its practitioners, its impact will be seen throughout all spheres of human life.

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Molecular Engineering Career

Molecular engineering entails the creation of molecules and the development of new products from them. Often these molecules do not exist naturally and may not be stable enough to employ beyond a narrow of parameter of uses. It is quite difficult to create these particles, as it requires the manual use of sensitive equipment such as a scanning tunneling microscope. The technology has the capacity to take entire libraries of books and condense their contents into a digital storage device the size of a single cube of sugar. This is an interesting field of engineering, with limitless potential. If you want to learn more about working towards a career in this area, search for schools in your area by using our list below. The work of molecular engineers is present in every industry, including robotics, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, materials, fashion and entertainment. In addition, the agricultural industry and medical devices field is expected to be transformed by innovations in molecular engineering, thereby forging new markets and employment opportunities for trained professionals.

The field is particularly important for scientific materials research and pharmaceuticals, as it is employed as a sophisticated form of chemical engineering. A potential application of molecular engineering would include a minute device that navigates seamlessly through a human body eradicating cancerous cells thereby precluding them from spreading. Duties of professional in the field may well include using statistics and computer models to predict molecular manipulation outcomes; employ business acumen in marketing applications; demonstrate leadership capabilities in managing a team of engineers and researchers; as well as manage the entire life cycle of product development.

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Real-World Example of Geological Engineering

The working and academic lives of a mining and geological engineer is one of constant problem solving, exploration, attention to detail, and communication. As one of, if not the primary coordinator for digging and mining operations, the engineer is charged with the planning, logistics, safety assurance and contingency/emergency management of their projects. In addition to the technical engineering skills required for the surveying, planning, digging and extraction or study of materials, the project engineers are quite often also required to maintain strong lines of communication with the crews of professional miners or students they are working with. As such, and especially with respect to safety or emergency management, the number of women entering the fields has been steadily increasing.

Former University of Arizona mining student and captain of the women’s mine rescue team, Allison Hagerman was interviewed by the school news site UANews.org in 2013, during one of its mining and geological engineering drilling competitions at the school’s San Xavier underground mine. Speaking about her experiences, she highlighted that safety in the field was not only paramount but also presented a specialization. One which, following her graduation in May of 2013, inspired her to take the reigns as the captain of the women’s rescue team at the San Xavier Mining Laboratory. While talking to UANews about her studies of the mining and geological sciences, Hagerman eagerly pointed out that along with a 100% program graduation rate, her skills and studies allowed her to transition directly out of school into a stable, high-paying position in the private sector.

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Mechatronic Engineering

Mechatronics engineering revolves around the design, construction and operation of intelligent products and systems, stemming from the integration of hardware and software applications. The Japanese engineer Tetsuro Mori developed the name for the field in 1969, while working as an executive engineer at the firm Yaskawa. The field is still evolving and sometimes is still referred to as Asset Management in the industry. Professionals in this arena develop approaches to industrial problems employing mechanical and electronic solutions and computer applications. They develop products through the integration of diverse technologies for streamlining processes and applications in endeavors like underwater exploration. These engineers create and evaluate factory production lines blending manufacturing and technologies to enhance efficiency. In addition, they preserve and augment manufacturing designs and processes in applications such as robot floor cleaners.
If you are looking for information about Mechatronics and want to speak with colleges and universities about earning your engineering degree, we can help. We work with schools across the nation to inform students of their options for education. Use our directory of schools to request more information today about their programs.

Mechatronic engineers traditionally work in a laboratory, processing plant or engineering office setting, especially among product developers, manufacturing firms, mining or forestry industries, aerospace and defense, government and industry research groups, as well as electrical power facilities. In addition, the skill set is highly desired by prominent global enterprises in the automotive, aerospace and consumer products sectors and in innovative technology firms that manufacture and supply software components and equipment. Often graduates will establish their own firms or capitalize on research opportunities in the fields of bioengineering or nanotechnology. The demand for mechatronic specialists will continue to grow as more institutions seek to integrate technological innovations in the computer, electronic and sensor areas to enhance production processes and services. Institutions across the globe that have capitalized on mechatronics technology include Bosch, Royal Dutch Shell, FOX Racing, and Keurig Green Mountain.

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Mechanical Engineering Careers Outlook

 

Careers

A mechanical engineer can work in industries such as aerospace, automobile, combustion engines and fuels, fluid machinery, manufacturing and construction and building sciences. A postgraduate of mechanical engineering has a host of career opportunities in other fields, such as law, business and medicine. A lawyer with a mechanical engineering degree can have a very lucrative career in patent or products liability law.

Employment opportunities in management are more available for the mechanical engineer who has a master's degree in engineering or business administration. Additionally, mechanical engineers with a postgraduate degree in biomedical engineering might work for private medical companies or hospitals developing hip replacements, prosthetics, robotic surgical equipment or diagnostic and treatment equipment.

Salary

According to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in May, 2011, mechanical engineers earned an average annual income of $83,550.

The industries with the highest concentration of mechanical engineers were:

• Engine, turbine and power transmission equipment manufacturing
• Industrial machinery manufacturing
• Motor vehicle manufacturing
• Architectural, engineering and related services
• Railroad rolling stock manufacturing
• The industries with the highest levels of employment were:
• Architectural, engineering and related services
• Federal executive branch (Occupation Employment Statistics (OES) designation)
• Aerospace product and parts manufacturing
• Navigational, measuring, electromedical and control instruments manufacturing

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Materials Science and Engineering Degree

 

Materials Science and Engineering Degree

Few studies are as vital to the advancement of industry as Materials Science and Engineering. Focused on the study, discovery and creation of new physical materials for use in everything from medicine, automotive and aerospace engineering and consumer goods, to rocketry and space exploration, careers in Materials Science and Engineering maintain a heavy focus on attention to detail, critical thinking and problem solving skills. As an “interdisciplinary science,” Materials Science and Engineering combines a variety of specific skills and studies, varying upon the professional or scientific objectives of the student. With strong emphasis in areas such as mathematics, thermodynamics, chemistry, bio-chemistry and materials properties (mechanical, transitional, chemical,) Materials Science and Engineering is a study which focuses on the physical materials used in given applications, for the purposes of research, safety, quality control and in certain professional areas, forensic engineering and investigation.

If you are ready to learn more about this area of engineering, contact the schools in our directory to learn more about their degree programs. We work with these schools directly and do not charge for our services. We simply want to help students like you understand your options!

Classically referred to as “metallurgy” in many schools and training programs, Materials Science and Engineering is generally regarded as a relatively new field of study, combining older metallurgic arts and understanding with newer studies of things such as atomic structure, applied physics and the creation and study of newer synthetic materials. Professional opportunities in the field cover a broad spectrum of industrial and scientific sectors, ranging from basic scientific research and discovery to applicable industry-specific occupations in fields such as bio-technology, defense and consumer product engineering.

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Types of Jobs In Marine Engineering

Marine engineering graduates have a number of career options. They may choose to work as naval combat or propulsion engineers or marine equipment specialists. Becoming a marine systems, marine structural, or ship’s engineer is also a possibility. Others may find the job duties of a marine equipment specialist or hydrographic surveyor more to their liking.

Many companies hiring freshly graduated marine engineers provide hands-on training using new employees’ academic knowledge as a foundation. In general, undergraduate students are expected to take advantage of marine engineering-related work-study jobs and internships to improve their likelihood of being hired post-graduation.

Individuals with a masters or PhD in Marine Engineering usually aim for jobs in government or academia. Working for private design, engineering and architectural firms is also a popular choice. Potential jobs for those holding advanced Marine Engineering degrees include:

• Engineering Professor
• Submarine Engineer
• Shipyard Project Engineer
• Marine Operations Manager

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Industrial Engineering Career

Industrial engineering is actually a far-ranging profession that focuses on optimizing complex processes or systems by reducing wastefulness in production. It focuses on systems of people, money, knowledge, information, equipment, energy, and materials and may address mathematical, physical and social science concerns. It brings to bear the principles and techniques of engineering design on many facets of life and seeks to specify, predict, and evaluate the results derived from these systems or processes.

Industrial engineering is one of the oldest branches of engineering taught in engineering schools, and generally requires that practitioners hold a professional engineering license in order to practice. If you want to learn more about this field, and how to pursue a career in this direction, contact the schools in our directory to receive detailed information you can use to make a decision.

The entry-level qualification needed to work as an industrial engineer is typically a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. It is not uncommon, however, for practicing industrial engineers to have degrees in related fields such as mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering technology, or general engineering. Many universities that offer degrees in the field offer advanced degrees: master’s and doctoral level program, as well. US News and World Report ranks industrial engineering programs in the United States. In 2012, the top ranked US program was at the Georgia Institute of Technology. As of 2012, it had held this ranking for twenty-two consecutive years. The program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and University of California, Berkeley, have been ranked second and third in the United States for many years.

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Environmental Engineering Education Requirements

 

First and Second years

• Students take courses in English composition, mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, and introductory engineering.

Third year

• Introduces advanced engineering courses, including solid and fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and laboratories in engineering materials, hydraulic engineering, and environmental monitoring and process engineering.

Fourth-year

• Primarily these studies are based on students' electives and if they are laying the foundation for a graduate level degree.

Graduate Level

Students specializing in environmental engineering can pursue four graduate degrees. The master of engineering (M.Eng.) degree is for those who seek careers that do not include research. The master of science (M.S.) degree requires students to conduct a thesis research project and expand their knowledge.

The doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree is awarded for expertise in research, and the doctor of engineering (D.Eng.) degree is designed to combine technical expertise with management skills.

There are online schools for B.S. degrees in engineering, but they are not reviewed here. The many laboratory components of engineering studies may not be available online; careful attention should be given to selecting an institution.

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